Alhambra
The ALHAMBRA (/ælˈhæmbrə/ ; Spanish: ; Arabic :
الْحَمْرَاء‎‎ , Al-Ḥamrā, lit. "The Red One"),
the complete Arabic form of which was Qalat Al-Hamra, is a palace and
fortress complex located in
GranadaGranada ,
AndalusiaAndalusia ,
SpainSpain . It was
originally constructed as a small fortress in AD 889 on the remains of
Roman fortifications, and then largely ignored until its ruins were
renovated and rebuilt in the mid-13th century by the Moorish emir
Mohammed ben Al-Ahmar of the Emirate of
GranadaGranada , who built its
current palace and walls. It was converted into a royal palace in 1333
by Yusuf I, Sultan of
GranadaGranada[...More...]

Romanticism
ROMANTICISM (also the ROMANTIC ERA or the ROMANTIC PERIOD) was an
artistic, literary, musical and intellectual movement that originated
in Europe toward the end of the 18th century and in most areas was at
its peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850.
RomanticismRomanticism was
characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as
glorification of all the past and nature, preferring the medieval
rather than the classical. It was partly a reaction to the Industrial
Revolution , the aristocratic social and political norms of the Age
of Enlightenment , and the scientific rationalization of nature—all
components of modernity . It was embodied most strongly in the visual
arts, music, and literature, but had a major impact on historiography,
education, and the natural sciences
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UNESCO World Heritage Site
A WORLD HERITAGE SITE is a landmark or area which has been officially
recognized by the
United Nations , specifically by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (
UNESCO ). Sites are
selected on the basis of having cultural, historical, scientific or
some other form of significance, and they are legally protected by
international treaties.
UNESCO regards these sites as being important
to the collective interests of humanity
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Myrtus Communis
MYRTUS COMMUNIS, the COMMON MYRTLE, is a species of flowering plant
in the myrtle family
MyrtaceaeMyrtaceae . It is an evergreen shrub native to
southern Europe, north Africa, western Asia,
MacaronesiaMacaronesia , and the
Indian Subcontinent, and also cultivated. It is one of the
Four SpeciesFour Species used by Jews in their religious rituals
on the festival of
SukkotSukkot . DESCRIPTIONThe plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree , growing to 5 metres
(16 ft) tall. The leaves are 2–5 centimetres (0.79–1.97 in) long,
with a fragrant essential oil . The flowers are white or tinged with pink, with five petals and many
stamens that protrude from the flower. The fruit is a berry ,
blue-black when ripe
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Squatters
SQUATTING is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area
of land or a building , usually residential, that the SQUATTER does
not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use . Author
Robert Neuwirth suggested in 2004 that there were one billion
squatters globally. He forecasts there will be two billion by 2030 and
three billion by 2050. Yet, according to Kesia Reeve, "squatting is
largely absent from policy and academic debate and is rarely
conceptualised, as a problem, as a symptom, or as a social or housing
movement."
SquattingSquatting can be related to political movements, such as anarchist ,
autonomist , or socialist . It can be a means to conserve buildings
or to provide housing
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Renaissance Humanism
RENAISSANCE HUMANISM is the study of classical antiquity , at first
in Italy and then spreading across
Western EuropeWestern Europe in the 14th, 15th,
and 16th centuries. The term
RenaissanceRenaissance humanism is contemporary to
that period —
RenaissanceRenaissance (rinascimento "rebirth") and "humanist"
(whence modern humanism; also
RenaissanceRenaissance humanism to distinguish it
from later developments grouped as humanism ).
RenaissanceRenaissance humanism was a response to the utilitarian approach and
what came to be depicted as the "narrow pedantry" associated with
medieval scholasticism . Humanists sought to create a citizenry able
to speak and write with eloquence and clarity and thus capable of
engaging in the civic life of their communities and persuading others
to virtuous and prudent actions
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English Elm
The FIELD ELM cultivar ULMUS MINOR \'ATINIA\', commonly known as the
ENGLISH ELM, formerly COMMON ELM and HORSE MAY, and more lately the
ATINIAN ELM was, before the spread of
Dutch elm disease , the most
common field elm in central southern England, though not native there,
and one of the largest and fastest-growing deciduous trees in Europe.
R. H. Richens noted that there are elm-populations in north-west
Spain, in northern Portugal and on the Mediterranean coast of France
that "closely resemble the English Elm" and appear to be "trees of
long standing" in those regions rather than recent introductions
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Mudejar
MUDéJAR (Spanish: , Portuguese: , Catalan : Mudèjar , Arabic :
مدجن‎ trans. Mudajjan, "tamed; domesticated" ) is the name given
to
MoorsMoors or Muslims of
Al-AndalusAl-Andalus who remained in Iberia after the
ChristianChristianReconquistaReconquista but were not converted to
ChristianityChristianity . This
term is used to contrast with both Muslims in Muslim-ruled areas (for
example, Muslims of Granada before 1492), and also in contrast to
Moriscos who were forcibly converted and may or may not have continued
to secretly practice Islam. MUDéJAR also denotes a style of medieval Iberian architecture and
decoration , particularly of
AragonAragon and Castile , strongly influenced
by Moorish taste and workmanship
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Whitewash
WHITEWASH, or CALCIMINE, KALSOMINE, CALSOMINE, or LIME PAINT is a
low-cost type of paint made from slaked lime (calcium hydroxide ,
Ca(OH)2) and chalk (calcium carbonate , (CaCO3), sometimes known as
"whiting". Various other additives are also used. CONTENTS* 1 Usage as paint * 1.1 Additives
* 1.2 Limitations
* 1.3 Cost * 2 Applications * 2.1 Orchards
* 2.2
DairyDairy barns
* 2.3 Other uses * 3 In popular culture
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links USAGE AS PAINT Whitewashers, photographed by Nicolae Ionescu (cs), 1928
WhitewashWhitewash cures through a reaction with carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere to form calcium carbonate in the form of calcite , a
reaction known as carbonation . It is usually applied to exteriors; however, it is traditionally used
for interiors in food preparation areas, particularly rural dairies ,
for its mildly antibacterial properties
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Maghreb
The MAGHREB (/ˈmæɡrɪb/ or /ˈmʌɡrəb/ ; literally "west,
sunset"; Arabic : المغرب‎‎ al-Maɣréb; Berber : Tamazɣa,
ⵜⴰⵎⴰⵣⵗⴰ; previously known to
Europeans as
Barbary Coast
or "
Barbary States", derived from Berber ), or the GREATER MAGHREB
(Arabic : المغرب الكبير ‎‎ al-Maghrib al-Kabīr), is
usually defined as much or most of the region of western North Africa
or NORTHWEST AFRICA, west of
Egypt[...More...]

Stucco
STUCCO or RENDER is a material made of aggregates , a binder , and
water.
StuccoStucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is
used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural
and artistic material in architecture.
StuccoStucco may be used to cover
less visually appealing construction materials such as metal ,
concrete , cinder block , or clay brick and adobe . In English, stucco usually means a coating for the outside of a
building, and plaster one for interiors; as described below, the
material itself is often little different. But other European
languages, importantly including Italian, do not have the same
distinction; stucco means plaster in Italian and serves for both.
This has led to English often using "stucco" for interior decorative
plasterwork in relief , especially in art history and older sources
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Nightingale
The COMMON NIGHTINGALE or simply NIGHTINGALE (
Luscinia megarhynchos),
also known as RUFOUS NIGHTINGALE, is a small passerine bird best known
for its powerful and beautiful song. It was formerly classed as a
member of the thrush family
Turdidae , but is now more generally
considered to be an
Old World flycatcher ,
Muscicapidae . It belongs
to a group of more terrestrial species, often called chats . CONTENTS * 1 Etymology
* 2 Description
* 3 Distribution and habitat
* 4 Behaviour and ecology
* 5 Cultural connotations
* 6 Cultural depictions
* 7 References
* 8 External links ETYMOLOGY"Nightingale" is derived from "night", and the
Old EnglishOld English galan, "to
sing"
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